The 'send 3 chapters' rule - question?

[Kit Bowman]

Hi I'm trying to write a book, mostly at work because my work is extremely boring, and the book itself is something I've been working on for years. A lot of it has changed since I started but there's this main character who won't leave me alone, so I'm hoping to actually finish a book for once (I'm very good at writing a few pages and losing interest).

My question is, I heard when you send your manuscript to an agent/publisher, you only send 3 chapters. So, would it be better to send 3 chapters now, which I have already written, and carry on writing in the hope that if someone decides they like it then I can 'great, the rest will be on its way soon' OR should I finish the entire thing, then send off the first three chapters?

I figure the smartest way would be to actually finish the damn thing first, but like I said I get demotivated easily and if someone really did turn around and say 'actually we like this' I'd be chuffed to bits. Is it very bad form to send off three chapters when three chapters is all there is?

[Lith]

Some authors do that; I can't say either way which is better. But it sounds as if you'd rather finish it first- I assume you have a good idea of where you're going?

As for motivation- you just have to find it. Somewhere, anywhere, but you need lots of self-motivation to be a writer. And you just need to do the work, motivation or not, or find some way (apart from drugs!) to trick yourself into always being motivated, without external prodding or praise. (Not that it isn't good to have praise! Only that your motivation shouldn't depend solely on it.)

[JFLewis]

Definitely finish the book first. You don't want to get someone interested and then tell them, "Glad you like it, I'll have the rest to you in three to six months."

Nothing motivates me more than a deadline, even if it is self-imposed. You might try setting goals for yourself and then sticking to them just as if it was something you were going to be held accountable for at work. That may make it feel weird at first, but once you get used to it, you will have forced yourself into a routine where you write on a regular basis and are making continual progress.

Another way is to post your progress (ie number of words or pages) to a blog or just give a running total to an interested friend each day. You'll find yourself wanting to make sure to get your writing in so that you'll have something good to report.

YMMV... as always,

--Jeremy

[SJAB]

Kit, finish the book first.

Most agents say on their submission details that they want completed works only. Sadly, I don't think they are going to wait. There very well may be a hundred other writers with completed novels whose first three chapters are as good as yours. An agent will naturally go with one of them, as against a none completed manuscript by an unknown. They are running a business after all.

A published writer with good sale under their belt selling an idea to an agent/publisher is a different matter. Even then, from what I have heard over the years, that is not always a given.

[Kit Bowman]

Thanks for the advice I was kinda thinking I should finish it first anyway, but you know how it is... you start to write something and it's pretty good, so you start thinking 'oh wow, what if this sold millions and I was suddenly a famous author?' and then it's so tempting to look at publishers websites and start reading up about submission processes and so on

[Laerten]

As JFLewis said about deadlines being a motivation, I think I was probably like you, writing a few pages then not writing anything for a while until I started setting myself deadlines. I keep a printed out 'time chart' next to the computer on which I note down number of words/pages completed in a session and set a target no for next time based on what I write.

I found I was writing a lot more each session and more frequently since starting this. I also find that if I can't write any more of the actual book, just jotting down notes for future scenes or inteseting characters etc. keeps me writing.